Abbey School Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders create a fully inclusive culture where equity of opportunity underpins practice across the setting. Children's individual needs are identified swiftly through effective assessment, careful observation and strong partnership working with families and professionals.

Leaders ensure that emerging concerns are acted upon promptly so that children access timely and targeted support. As a result, staff implement carefully designed interventions without delay, ensuring that every child receives the highest standard of care and the bespoke support they need to achieve and thrive. Staff skilfully implement a wide range of communication and interaction strategies tailored to each child's needs, weaving these seamlessly into daily routines. These responsive strategies help all children, but particularly those who face barriers to their learning. This means children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make progress that prepares them well for later learning as they build their skills in gradual, precise and measurable steps.

Leaders sharply focus on ensuring that staff have the training and mentoring to provide targeted and systematic provision for children with SEND and other vulnerable learners. For example, all staff have recently benefited from training to support communication and language development and are currently learning sign language to further strengthen this.

Senior staff rigorously pursue all avenues to help children and their families acquire the support they need. Early years pupil premium funding is used strategically to address identified barriers and enhance children's experiences. Leaders also work proactively with schools and other settings to design well-informed, individualised transition plans. They share key information promptly and collaborate closely with receiving teachers, ensuring that every child moves confidently and smoothly into their next stage of education.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the curriculum's quality and have improved planning and assessment systems since the last inspection. These changes, although not yet fully embedded, have had a positive impact on children's learning. Staff report that the new planning system is flexible enough for them to adapt the themes to take account of children's current interests and fascinations. The curriculum is well sequenced, and leaders ensure that it is typically taught well. They and staff use termly assessments to check progress and to prevent children from falling behind. The curriculum has a focus on children gaining skills for moving on to their next phase of learning. The recent introduction of 'Maths Champions' is having a positive impact, and staff report feeling more confident teaching mathematical concepts and skills to children.

Children's communication and language development is prioritised by leaders. All staff have completed training in this area. This is having a positive impact on the quality of interactions between adults and children. Staff can skilfully adapt their language to meet the needs of different ages and stages. This helps children make good progress in understanding and using vocabulary. Leaders and staff successfully adapt the curriculum for children who face barriers to learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. This ensures that all children can play and learn alongside their peers.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children gain important skills in areas such as their personal, social and emotional development and their communication and language. They learn to take turns and develop early negotiation skills that are vital for collaborative learning. Children build confidence in their play and can use appropriate vocabulary that allows them to socially interact with each other and make friends.

Children enjoy books and show interest in stories that are read to them. They use these familiar stories in their play, supported by well-planned resources. For example, children scoop oats into different-sized bowls and then plan where they can hide them so that Goldilocks does not eat them all. At times, children's learning does not consistently develop deeply or broadly. Recent curriculum improvements introduced by leaders have not had time to embed into staff's practice, which means the full impact of these initiatives is not yet evident.

Children build on their physical development in a variety of ways. They develop gross motor strength outdoors, balancing, running and climbing. Younger children refine their fine motor skills while manipulating dough, and older children learn to write their names. Children's confidence and willingness to try new tasks is boosted by the praise and encouragement they receive at appropriate times. This means children are suitably prepared for their next stage of learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

The nursery provides a happy environment where warm, respectful relationships help children feel secure. Leaders and staff are consistently effective role models and establish warm relationships with all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They establish routines from the start so that babies and children soon learn to feel confident and assured. Staff work closely with parents to reflect home routines, such as sleep times, to help babies and young children transition confidently into the life of the setting.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and actively promote sharing and turn-taking throughout the day. They model positive behaviour and clearly reinforce expectations through consistent routines and clear boundaries. This considered approach means children feel secure, and it helps them to learn self-regulation and conflict resolution in a supportive and age-appropriate way. For example, children in pre-school independently use a sand timer to organise turn-taking. When children do become distressed, staff respond swiftly and sensitively, using their strong knowledge of individual needs to help them re-engage in learning. This means that all children, including those who face barriers to their learning, develop positive attitudes, engage enthusiastically in learning and grow into confident, increasingly independent learners.

Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers to promote regular, punctual attendance. They take time to understand each family's context and put tailored plans in place to remove barriers. Their proactive approach ensures that children benefit fully from the curriculum and daily routines.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are prioritised at this setting. Leaders and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to ensuring that children and their families feel supported, valued and welcomed. Staff are highly attuned to their children and show professional curiosity when they observe changes in their behaviour. They hold timely discussions with parents and carers, gaining valuable insight into children's lives at home so that consistent strategies can be agreed and implemented. This responsive approach ensures that children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, receive support that meets their individual needs.

Staff actively embrace children becoming independent from an early age. They work closely with parents and carers, recognising each small step children take as they learn new skills. For example, staff encourage and celebrate babies' efforts when they begin to walk unaided. They give them time to practise and consolidate what they have learned to improve their new skills. Outside, children enjoy plenty of space to explore and develop imaginative play alongside a designated area with equipment for climbing and balancing. Preschool children enjoy a range of physical activities, including swimming lessons, and children develop physical confidence they need to fully embrace a range of learning opportunities in the future. Leaders understand current nutritional guidance and recognise how a healthy diet strengthens children's learning and wellbeing. They work closely with parents to identify practical changes that improve the quality of children's diets. This has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on the food children choose and enjoy eating at lunchtime and builds healthy habits for the future.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders know their staff, children and families well. They have an excellent understanding of the setting context and recognise the challenges children and families face. Leaders adapt their setting to ensure that they can provide support to parents and carers who need it. They provide parents and carers with support and time. This helps parents and carers feel confident about their children's development and develops their sense of belonging at the nursery.

Leaders have an accurate assessment of the setting's strengths and areas for development. They recognise they are on a journey when they reflect on their provision and make changes in discussion with staff. For example, improvements made since the last inspection to strengthen staff's planning and sequencing of the curriculum are effective although are not yet fully embedded.

Leaders have robust systems in place for staff's wellbeing, and staff comment positively about working in the setting. They actively encourage staff to engage in professional development opportunities that link to their interests and the needs of children. During supervision meetings, leaders guide staff to think about their own strengths and how they might use these to most benefit children in the nursery.